TUESDAY IN THE FIFTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

READINGS

Reading 1 Gn 1:20—2:4a

God said, "Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let birds fly beneath the dome of the sky." and so it happened: God created the great sea monsters and all kinds of swimming creatures with which the water teems, and all kinds of winged birds. God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying, "Be fertile, multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth." Evening came, and morning followed–the fifth day. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds." and so it happened: God made all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of cattle, and all kinds of creeping things of the earth. God saw how good it was. Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed–the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation. Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.

REFLECTION

Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.

REFLECTION

In the book of Genesis God gives us His identity.

Who do we belong to?

Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Why did God make us in their own likeness? Again we hear the same statement further on in Genesis.

"God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.

When a coin is stamped with the image, it represents which country or ruler it belongs to. In the New Testament Jesus is questioned about taxes and he replies whose image is on the Roman coin. The answer was Ceasar. Then Jesus says, "Render to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and to God what is God's."( Mark 12:17).

What belongs to God? Aren't we made in God's image and likeness? Therefore, we belong to God.

God even defines our identity further as "in the divine image" and "male and female".

In today's culture, we are being told that we can be whoever or whatever we feel like being. We can be a tree or a cat. A man can be a woman if he feels like it, or a woman can be a man. Can we change our identity?

We must think critically about what we hear today. We must ask this question, "Is it true?"

Learn to think critically. Seek the truth. Join PAPA on Wednesday at FACE ZBS (Face-to-Face ZOOM Bible Study), and ask questions from a theologian.

God bless you!